Visiting a Doctor, Hospital, or Pharmacy

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Understand how to access the Danish Health Care system with this video

Denmark’s Medical Advice Line

If you don’t feel well and it is not an emergency, save Denmark’s emergency medical advice line in your phone, 1813. The line is open 24/7 and monitored by trained nurses.

Calling 1813 serves two purposes:

The nurse on the line can advise you on whether you should contact your general practitioner, or go to a local emergency room or urgent care clinic

If the nurse directs you to a clinical or emergency room, they can tell you which has the shortest waiting times and put you on the patient list. If you go to an emergency room without calling 1813, you may be turned away

Visiting a Doctor With a CPR Card

After you have obtained a student visa and are registered with a yellow CPR card (Civil Registration System), you are assigned an English-speaking doctor in your neighborhood. The doctor’s name is listed on your CPR card. Read more on about obtaining your visa.

Visiting a Doctor Without a CPR Card

If you are a current student and do not yet have a CPR card, you will need to pay for your doctor’s visit, which may cost between 350-500 DKK. However, if you keep the receipt and fill out an insurance claim form, in most cases you can get your money back. As a student at DIS Copenhagen, most visits to the doctor, hospitalization, prescriptions, and prescribed medicine are covered by the DIS student insurance. Read more about DIS Insurance and how to fill out a form here.

If you do not have a CPR card yet, you can still call 1813 and go to the emergency room; however, you may have a more difficult time getting a doctor to see you in a non-emergency situation. The list of doctors below are those that frequently see DIS students before having a CPR number. They are located within the city of Copenhagen. Inclusion in this list does not indicate endorsement, as DIS has not done a formal review of these providers.

Note that appointments can only be made over the telephone during specific calling hours. If you have questions, please ask Student Life, or send an email to studentaffairs@dis.dk.

Copenhagen ‘Doctor Operator’

If you are unable to get an appointment with any of the above doctors, you can call 70 20 15 46 to request an appointment.

The Danish Pharmacy

In Denmark, a pharmacy is called apotek, and is typically open Monday – Friday, 9:00 – 17:00. When entering an apotek, you take a number and wait to be called. There will be pharmacists working behind the counter, who will listen to your needs and make a recommendation. Over the counter medication is more limited in Denmark than you are likely used to in the U.S., thus the pharmacist’s recommendation may be to visit a doctor to receive a prescription.

Recommended 24-Hour Pharmacies in Copenhagen*

*Note: Though these pharmacies are 24/7, make sure to check their websites for current business hours – there is a 20 DKK fee for assistance at a pharmacy outside of regular business hours.

Dentists in Denmark

Dental care is not covered by Denmark’s national insurance, nor the DIS student insurance. However, you will likely find that dental care is reasonably priced in the case that you need to see a dentist while abroad. You will find a list of dentists in the yellow pages under “tandlæger”. The website is in Danish, but please refer to the individual addresses and phone numbers to get in touch with the nearest dentist to you.

Note: In the event that you need after-hours dental care, Emergency Dental Care is open daily from 20.00 – 21.30, and on weekends and holidays from 10.00 – 12.00. An appointment is not required, but you can assess the severity of your case by calling 1813.